Chapter 37

A letter arrived for Harold that day. The sender’s name was clearly written: Yuno.

As he puzzled over why she would write to him, he recalled an exchange he’d had with Tasuku regarding his enlistment in the Knight Order.

Since the LP Farming Method had successfully gotten off the ground, Harold had entrusted the management and representative duties entirely to Tasuku. Nevertheless, Tasuku continued to send periodic progress reports. Until now, they’d had frequent opportunities to meet in person, so communication hadn’t been an issue, but that would change once Harold joined the Order.

To address this, Tasuku had suggested switching to written reports after his enlistment. Harold didn't particularly care if he received reports or not, but since it didn't involve any significant effort or inconvenience, he had agreed.

They’d decided to use a pseudonym to prevent any complications that might arise if his ties to the prominent House Sumeragi were discovered. Tasuku was well aware of Harold's intention to eventually break off his engagement with Erika, and the use of a fake name was likely a precaution to ensure their relationship wasn't exposed through an investigation into his correspondence.

That was why the letter hadn't been sent in Tasuku’s name. Of course, Cody had already found out about the engagement anyway. Tasuku couldn't openly deny the connection either, and since Hayden had absolutely no intention of hiding it, perfect secrecy had been an impossible goal from the start.

At the thought of his father, Harold stifled a sigh and broke the wax seal on the envelope.

The five sheets of parchment inside detailed how the LP Farming Method was steadily driving up profits and expanding its scale of operations. The figures were laid out in meticulous detail. At the end, Tasuku inquired if Harold had any visions for the business's future prospects.

Frankly, the enterprise had reached a scale far beyond Harold’s non-existent expertise in management. He had anticipated this, which was why he’d involved Tasuku and handed over the reins so early; even when asked for an opinion like this, he had no real answer to give.

He considered sending a reply that simply said, "Do as you like," but that felt far too irresponsible for the person who had originated the LP Farming Method in the first place.

While he knew Tasuku was competent enough not to need constant guidance, Harold couldn't think of anything else to add. He decided to urge Tasuku not to fixate too much on immediate profits and to establish contracts with other nobles before they could harbor resentment or grudges.

Currently, the LP Farming Method was framed as a technology devised by House Sumeragi and provided to House Stokes. Because these two houses held a monopoly, the revenue was substantial. If they shared the know-how with other nobles through a trading company in exchange for usage fees, it would likely mitigate the risk of unnecessary political friction.

Still, Harold knew this was merely the shallow wit of an amateur. He intended to leave the specifics—such as which sales channels to develop and the timing of the technology transfers—to Tasuku’s superior skill.

He fundamentally had no intention of interfering further.

He picked up a pen to write down his stance immediately, deciding to get it over with. As he worked in silence, his roommates staggered back into the room, their steps heavy and unsteady. A few were even groaning like zombies.

In the days since their initial bout, they had been diligently engaging in mock battles against Harold. He won overwhelmingly every time. Because he fought at a speed bordering on his serious pace, he hadn't suffered a single strike yet.

On the other hand, Isaac and the others were a wreck every single day. Harold wasn't inflicting much physical damage, but he toyed with them by dodging at full power until their stamina was completely spent.

As his roommates collapsed onto their beds one after another, only Isaac managed to limp over to Harold’s desk.

"Harold... you got a second?"

"What is it?"

"I have a message from Platoon Leader Cody. He said, 'Come see me tomorrow after morning training.' There... I've told you..."

His duty fulfilled, Isaac crawled into his own bunk and was snoring within seconds. Harold didn't even have time to reply.

Tomorrow. I’ll finally hear if I passed or failed. He felt like the process had taken an unusually long time. A dark thought crossed his mind: Was I so hated that they struggled to find a unit willing to take me?

However, the reality awaiting Harold was far harsher than he imagined.

The next morning, Harold arrived at the designated meeting spot to find not only Cody but Robinson and the rest of the squad as well. At that moment, his sense of foreboding spiked to an all-time high.

"Hey there! Good morning, Harold. How are we feeling today?"

"……Terrible."

To be precise, his mood had turned terrible the second he saw them. They had been spending so much time together lately that he’d begun to worry this would happen. Apparently, his fear had been a flag. Looking back, the flag had likely been set the moment they accompanied him on his final exam.

"Well, let's get right to it. As of today, Harold, you’ve been officially assigned to our unit. Looking forward to working with you!"

(Are you kidding me...?)

Harold’s body went rigid at the announcement. To be assigned to the one unit he wanted to avoid among the dozens available felt almost intentional.

In contrast to Harold's plummeting spirits, Robinson and the others were in a celebratory mood.

"We're counting on you, Harold!" Sid shouted, being the first to throw an arm around Harold’s shoulder.

Robinson and Aileen offered their own welcomes.

"It’s a huge relief to have you on the team, Harold," Robinson said.

"Just remember that we're your seniors, so show us some respect, okay?" Aileen added with a smirk.

It would be a lie to say Harold wasn't happy about their reaction. Because his mouth spat out vitriol regardless of his intent, people tended to shun him. People who treated him with genuine kindness were precious.

However, a future awaited this unit where everyone except Cody would be wiped out. For the story to progress according to the original work, that tragedy was essential.

By becoming a member of this squad, Harold had put his own life on the line for a battle that was fast approaching. It wasn't just a matter of whether he could save Robinson and the others—it was a question of whether he could survive at all.

(If I recall, the Cody Squad was annihilated four years before the start of the game... which means one year from now. If I can get a transfer before then, I might be able to avoid it.)

Harold immediately began plotting an escape route, but the situation took another turn for the worse.

"Also, we’ve been granted a five-day leave starting next week," Cody announced. "It’s only for a few select units, ours included."

"Why now, though?"

"I’m not complaining, but what’s the occasion?"

"We're heading out on an expedition as soon as the leave is over. Our squad is part of the vanguard, so I guess they want us to rest up while we can."

Robinson was the one to voice his suspicion. "Is the expedition going to be that grueling?"

"The mission itself isn't too bad, but the location is the problem. We’re heading to the Bertis Forest."

Bertis Forest.

Harold froze, his body turning to stone at the sound of that name.

---

Bertis Forest. A secluded land and home to the Stella Clan.

In the original game, this was the site of a massive bloody conflict between the Knight Order and the Stella Clan. It was the event that resulted in Cody losing all of his subordinates and subsequently resigning from the Order.

The battle was triggered by a traitor who allowed enemy soldiers to disguise themselves as both Knights and members of the Stella Clan to launch false-flag attacks on both sides. In truth, the Order had secured permission to enter the forest, but the mastermind’s plot shattered that agreement in the most horrific way possible, creating a deep, permanent rift between humanity and the Stella Clan.

The public narrative—that the Stella Clan had ambushed the Knights—only served to widen the divide.

The true architect of this tragedy wasn't the traitor, but Justus, who had manipulated the entire scenario. His goal was to analyze a unique biological trait of the Stella Clan, and he intended to use the chaos in Bertis Forest to kidnap several of them for his experiments.

Robinson and the others would die, Cody would quit, and Justus would obtain the test subjects needed to advance his ultimate plan. The battle of Bertis Forest was a pivotal event that fundamentally reshaped the world’s history.

Intervening would mean deviating wildly from the original plot. That was why Harold had hesitated, but he’d also felt some measure of security, thinking he still had a year to prepare.

Now, everything had been upended in an instant.

What should he do? Before he could find an answer, his participation in the massacre had been set in stone.

Harold was in a state of total panic. His composure was shattered as completely as it had been the day he first realized he’d been reincarnated into the game world. He was no longer capable of calm, rational thought.

His mind was spinning. "Clinging to straws" was perhaps the only way to describe his current state.

He utilized the five-day leave before the expedition to travel to the Sumeragi Territory.

If asked why, Harold couldn't have given a logical answer. He was at a dead end; he couldn't confide in anyone, yet he couldn't find a solution on his own. His journey was, in a sense, a desperate flight from reality.

It was his first visit to House Sumeragi in nearly two months. Since he hadn't sent word ahead of time, the servants were thrown into a flurry by his sudden arrival.

The one who eventually greeted him was the elderly man named Kiryu.

"Well, well, Lord Harold. To what do we owe the pleasure? We had no word of your arrival."

"It's an emergency. Get Tasuku."

There was no emergency, of course, but having come all this way, he had to maintain his persona.

"The master is currently out on business. I expect he will return by evening."

"Tch."

Harold clicked his tongue reflexively. It was an unannounced visit, so it couldn't be helped, but his disappointment far outweighed any sense of apology. He was truly at his wit's end.

He was shown to a guest room, but waiting for Tasuku’s return felt like an unbearable torture. Simply sitting still caused his anxiety and irritation to boil over. He knew Tasuku’s return wouldn't magically solve his problems, but he couldn't stop the spiral of negative emotions.

He tried to force his brain to work, searching for some narrow path to victory, but no effective plan came to mind.

As he sat there gritting his teeth, a voice called out from behind the sliding door.

"Excuse me."

It was a cool, clear voice that seemed to act like a balm on Harold's feverish mind.

He realized then that her voice and gestures were beginning to resemble her mother, Koyomi—a trivial thought that offered a momentary distraction from his dire situation.

Exhausted by the pressure, he didn't even have the energy to treat her with his usual vitriol. Since she had come to see the man she hated most, she surely had a reason for being there.

"……Enter."

He heard a sharp intake of breath from the other side of the door. Clearly, his compliant response was the last thing she had expected.

After a moment’s hesitation, the door slid open.

"It has been quite some time, Lord Harold."

There stood Erika, dressed in a kimono the color of fresh spring grass. She knelt and performed a deep, formal bow, lowering her head until it nearly touched the floor.